Malta apostilles through the Foreign Ministry's Consular Services Office — but as an EU member, many EU documents need no apostille at all under Regulation 2016/1191.
Overview
Malta is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and apostilles on Maltese documents are issued by the Consular Services Office under the ministry responsible for foreign affairs (currently styled the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade; the designated office was re-announced in late 2024 under the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister following a portfolio reshuffle). The service runs through the ConsularPlus portal (consularplus.gov.mt). A Maltese document can only be legalised if it carries the original signature of a person registered with the ministry — notaries, lawyers, accountants and auditors, heads of schools, government officials, diplomats and translators — because the office authenticates by matching the signature and stamp against its database. Because Malta is an EU member, EU Regulation 2016/1191 exempts many public documents (birth, marriage, death, criminal-record and similar certificates) moving between EU countries from any apostille. Malta's two official languages, Maltese and English, mean English-language documents are widely accepted without translation. Verified against foreign.gov.mt, consularplus.gov.mt, identita.gov.mt and hcch.net as of June 2026.
Apostille and Legalisation of Maltese Documents
- Who issues it: The Consular Services Office (CSO), under the Directorate Consular Services and Maltese Living Abroad within the foreign ministry, is responsible for legalising Maltese public documents and issuing apostilles for use in Hague Convention countries. The HCCH lists the office (under the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the foreign ministry since late 2024) as Malta's competent authority.
- The signature register is the gatekeeper: Documents are legalised only when the original signature and rubber stamp on them match a specimen already registered with the ministry. Eligible signatories include notaries, lawyers, accountants/auditors, heads of schools, government officials, diplomats and translators. A document signed by someone not on the register cannot be apostilled until it is re-certified by someone who is — typically a notary public.
- How to submit: Through the ConsularPlus portal (consularplus.gov.mt/legalisation) or in person at the Consular Services Office in Valletta. A per-document fee applies, with different rates for personal and commercial documents — check the current schedule on ConsularPlus before attending, as fees are not fixed in primary legislation.
- What the apostille confirms: Only the authenticity of the signature, stamp and capacity of the signatory — not the truth of the document's contents.
- Non-Hague destinations: If your Maltese document is going to a country outside the Apostille Convention, it is legalised by the CSO and must then usually be super-legalised by that country's embassy or consulate accredited to Malta. Check the HCCH status table to see which route applies.
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See Paid Plans →Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues apostilles in Malta and how do I apply?
The Consular Services Office under the foreign ministry (the Directorate Consular Services and Maltese Living Abroad) is Malta's designated competent authority — re-announced in late 2024 under the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the foreign ministry after a portfolio change. Applications go through the ConsularPlus portal (consularplus.gov.mt/legalisation) or in person in Valletta. The document must carry the original signature of someone registered with the ministry — notary, lawyer, accountant/auditor, head of school, government official, diplomat or translator — because legalisation works by matching the signature against the ministry's specimen database. A per-document fee applies; check the current rates on ConsularPlus.
I'm moving to Malta from another EU country — do I need apostilles on my birth and marriage certificates?
Usually not. Malta is an EU member, so Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 requires Maltese authorities to accept covered public documents — birth, death, marriage, civil status, nationality, residence and criminal-record certificates — from other EU countries without apostille or legalisation. Ask the issuing authority to attach a multilingual standard form and you may avoid a certified translation too. The exemption does not extend to diplomas or commercial paperwork, and Identità's Public Registry still applies its own Policy for the Recognition of Foreign Public Documents when registering foreign civil-status events, so check that policy for the registration itself.
Why was my Maltese document refused for apostille?
Almost always because the signature on it is not registered with the foreign ministry. The Consular Services Office authenticates by matching the original signature and rubber stamp against its specimen database; only notaries, lawyers, accountants/auditors, heads of schools, government officials, diplomats and registered translators qualify. Photocopies without an original signature, documents signed by unregistered private individuals, and digital printouts fail this test. The fix is normally to have the document certified by a notary public (whose signature is registered) and resubmit. Also confirm the destination country is actually a Hague party — non-Hague destinations need the legalisation-plus-embassy route instead.
Do my foreign documents need to be translated for a Maltese application?
Only if they are not in Maltese or English — both are official languages, and English-language documents are accepted by Identità, Residency Malta and most regulators without translation, which spares applicants from English-speaking countries significant cost. Documents in any other language need a translation: the MPRP regulations define an authenticated translation as one made by a recognised translator in the format the agency determines, and Identità's Public Registry publishes a translators list on identita.gov.mt. For EU documents, a multilingual standard form under Regulation 2016/1191 can replace the translation for covered certificate types.
How do I get my home-country police certificate accepted in Malta?
Authenticate it where it was issued — Malta cannot apostille foreign documents. From a Hague Convention country, obtain that country's apostille; from a non-Hague country, have it legalised by the issuing country's foreign ministry and then by the Maltese embassy or consulate accredited there. From another EU country, criminal-record certificates are covered by Regulation 2016/1191 and need no apostille at all. Then add a translation into Maltese or English if it is in another language. Check the exact checklist for your permit — the Nomad Residence Permit and MPRP both require police conduct documentation, and Residency Malta specifies the format in its application packs.
What is the difference between legalisation and an apostille in Malta?
Both are performed by the same Consular Services Office, and both authenticate the signature and stamp on a document rather than its contents. An apostille is the single-stamp shortcut accepted by all Hague Apostille Convention parties — once applied, no further step is needed. Legalisation is the older chain used for non-Hague destinations: the CSO certifies the document, and the destination country's embassy or consulate accredited to Malta then usually adds its own certification. Which one you need depends entirely on the destination country, so check the HCCH status table first — paying for the wrong route wastes both the fee and the queue time.